Belarus has an estimated population of 9.45 million. This is down from the 9.3 million estimated in 2017, and the official population of 9.5 million at the 2009 census. Belarus has a very low population density of just 46 people per square kilometer (121/square mile).

Minsk is the largest city in Belarus, and is also its capital. The population of Minsk is 1.8 million people. Minsk was founded in 1067 A.D.. Currently Minsk, and Belarus in general, is leading ex-USSR states by way of urbanization. 74% of Belarus residents live in urban areas.

Belarus Demographics

Ethnic Belarusians constitute approximately 84% of the total population of Belarus. Russians are the next largest ethnic group at 8% of the population, followed by Poles (3%) and Ukrainians (1.5%). While Russian is the official and main language of the country, Belarusian is also widely spoken. Yiddish, Polish, and Ukrainian are also spoken.

59% of the population claims Eastern Orthodox Christianity as their faith; Roman Catholicism and Protestantism is practiced amongst some of the percentage of residents. Judaism and Baha’i faiths are also practiced by about 4% of the Belarus population. Belarus has no official religion, but under its constitution it allows for freedom of worship and religious practice as long as they pose no harm to social or governmental institutions.

How Many People Live in Belarus?

Timezones in Belarus

Belarus Population Growth

Belarus has a negative population growth rate. Belarus was recently named as one of the world's fastest shrinking countries, with a population that peaked in 1991 at 10.2 million and has been dropping ever since. Belarusians typically marry at an older age and have few children, which has caused a fertility rate below the replacement value. Around two-thirds of all families in the country have just one child. There is also a large disparity in the life expectancies of men (67) and women (77).

Total population: Estimated to be consistent with the 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009 censuses, with official population estimates through 2016, and with estimates of the subsequent trends in fertility, mortality and international migration.